Mr. Mark Silver, Esq., provided an excellent overview on how people with chronic hepatitis B can qualify for disability benefits. According to Mr. Silver, it often takes one to three years to go through the disability claims process. The key to success is to persevere, get a good disability lawyer, and enlist the support of one's doctor to make a strong medical case for the disability claim. He emphasized that patients should tell their doctor about every symptom or side effect so they have good documentation to support the claim.

To file a claim, visit www.socialsecurity.gov or call 1-800-772-1213. To find a disability lawyer, visit The National Organization for Social Security Claimant Representatives at www.nosscr.org, which maintains a directory of attorneys listed by state. Or, contact Mark Silver, Esq., former president of NOSSCR, at msilver@silver2law.com.

For complete notes on the B Informed Patient Conference, visit our website at www.hepb.org/patients/patient_conference2005.htm.

BInformed, Fall 2005.